


Sorely Missed

by BetterYouThanMe



Series: Harry Potter Drabbles [32]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fleur's drowning, Nightmares, Sisterly Love, Triwizard Tournament, fear of water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 00:30:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17234039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BetterYouThanMe/pseuds/BetterYouThanMe
Summary: Fleur tries to figure out what she would sorely miss when the second task rolls around. Once she figures out what that means she does everything in her power to never lose her sister again.*Fleur helps Gaby deal with the aftermath of the second task*





	Sorely Missed

The water was freezing cold, but Fleur expected that. If the water was anything but a biting cold that froze her bones she would have been more worried. It didn't take her long to figure out the golden egg clue. Anyone with a brain could have connected the dots that the next task was in the black lake. Fleur didn't even go to Hogwarts and she knew there were merpeople in the lake.

What else could have made that screeching? She asked around the student body and convinced a Prefect boy to give her the password for their bathroom. All the other bathrooms only had showers which wouldn't be useful for her purpose. The egg would have to be fully submerged for her to be able to hear the clue.

She listened to the song a few times before getting out and making her way to the library. She knew a few charms and transfigurations could effectually work to help her stay underwater for the whole hour. Fleur just wanted to make sure she picked the right one. After mulling over her choices, she finally settled on the Bubble-head charm.

The thing she couldn't figure out was what she would "sorely miss" enough for them to hide it in the lake. She tried to find her sister before the task but was told but her headmaster that she needed to focus on winning. Fleur didn't even stop to think about the fact that she hadn't seen Gaby since dinner the night before.

It was the only thought running through her head as she swam through the water. Her swimsuit was effective for moving through the water but it did nothing to retain body heat. So, her body kicked in the adrenaline to keep her warm. It also helped her to continue moving through the murky water. Every fiber of her being wanted to stop but the merpeople song floated around inside her head to remind her of what she was doing.

The problem with picking the Bubble-head charm was that it only helped her to breathe. It didn't help her swim faster like Victor's shark head. It was taking far too long for her to swim through the seaweed that obscured her view. It kept wrapping around her ankles causing her to stop to untangle herself.

All of a sudden, her leg was grabbed by something other than the seaweed. A swarm of grindylows were scratching her and trying to pull her down. The movement caused her air bubble to pop and water started to fill her lungs as she kicked the stupid creatures.

Her vision turned black but she could still feel the grindylows cutting her skin. Her head began to feel dizzy and she finally lost conciseness.

* * *

She woke up on the dock in the middle of the lake. After she expelled all the water from the inside of her body. Someone flirted around her trying to tend to her wounds but she began to ask questions.

"What happens now?" Fleur asked Maxime.

"I'm not sure," Fleur could tell her headmistress was lying. It was something in the older woman's eyes that tipped her off.

"What about the thing that I'll sorely miss? What is it?"

"I am not allowed to tell you."

Once Fleur noticed Cedric Diggory surface with Cho Chang in his arms did Fleur realize that it wasn't an object that she would miss. The memory that she hadn't seen Gaby in a while connected with the "sorely miss" clue and she realized who was waiting for her in the bottom of the lake.

"My sister!" Fleur screamed to her headmistress, "What will happen to my sister?"

"I am not allowed to tell you; it's against the rules." Although there was a somber tone to Maxime's voice her body language alluded to other emotions. Fleur assumed disappointment because she did not finish the task.

"If anything happens to my sister-"

At that moment Ron Weasley broke through the water holding Gaby. Fleur ran over to help her little sister out of the water. She didn't realize she was crying until Gaby started to wipe her tears away with soft whispers of comfort.

The next few minutes went by in a blur. Fleur remembered kissing Ron and Harry on their cheeks thanking them for saving her sister. She remembered them announcing the champions' order. But she didn't remember how she ended up in her bed with her little sister curled up next to her.

The poor girl was shaking in fear. She woke up from a nightmare about the merpeople. Fleur didn't even know how her sister could have been aware underwater despite being unconscious. She talked to the other champions and everyone who was captured didn't move at all. But Gaby swore she could still hear the merpeople attacking Harry for taking both her and Ron.

Fleur made sure she would thank the young boy again. What he did was very brave and although she was upset at the beginning of the tournament about his participation she was glad of it now. If he hadn't been there who would have saved Gaby? Would the merpeople have killed her little sister?

No one would tell her even after the task had ended. Fleur did her best to soothe Gaby to sleep but she laid awake the whole night. Too afraid to close her own eyes in fear of seeing the merpeople. She may not have gotten far enough to see the merpeople but she'd seen enough drawings to conjure up an image.

* * *

"What was it like?" A bunch of Beauxbaton students crowded around Fleur and Gaby. The biggest question hung in the air. They all wanted to know what happened to Gaby.

"Scary," the younger girl whispered. Fleur knew her sister didn't want to talk about it but of course, the other students hadn't picked up on that.

"So, you remember it?" asked Noémie a blonde-haired girl who was slightly younger than Fleur.

"Not really," Gaby shuttered "It's like a really fuzzy dream."

"But you must know something," Noémie pushed.

"She probably doesn't want to talk about it," A dark-haired boy replied. Fleur didn't know his name but she'd have to learn it since he stuck up for Gaby.

"You want to talk about it right?" Apparently, this Noémie girl wasn't that smart. She was starting to get on Fleur's bad side and everyone knew that you didn't cross Fleur.

"I-well not really," Gaby started to play with her hands. Fleur put a comforting arm around her sister. "Sébastien was right."

Fleur was glad that her little sister knew the name of the boy. She'd have to write him a thank you note. It was a high honor to get a note from Fleur even more so when she used her fancy stationery set.

* * *

"Do you think I'll be able to swim again?" Gaby asked later that night. She was curled up against Fleur much like the night before.

"What do you mean?"

"I was scared to shower this morning," She sniffled "The water scares me."

"I know you don't want to talk about it but do you remember anything?"

"I remember Headmistress Maxime asking me to follow her someplace and then the next thing I know is I'm in the lake. I could see but I couldn't move or breathe. It was like my lungs were stuck but I didn't need air so it was okay. The Merpeople were swimming around me and they just kept singing this same song. I don't know what they were saying because the water muffled my hearing but it wasn't nice. Then when Harry saved me they started to chase us. The grindylows attacked Harry which woke the other boy and I up from the trance. I tried my best not to get any water in my mouth and then the other boy helped me get to the dock," Gaby snuggled closer to her sister.

"Is that why you had a nightmare last night?"

"I actually dreamed about you getting dragged under by the Grindylows. I overheard some girls talking about it. That's why you couldn't come to get me. They said it was because you weren't smart enough like the boys to get around the creatures, but I know that's not true. You're smarter than all three of them."

"No, those girls were right. If I was smart enough I would have been able to save you myself," Fleur carded her fingers through Gaby's hair. "I don't even want to think about what would have happened if Harry hadn't saved you."

"I would have been fine."

"I'm not so sure," Fleur got quiet "Headmistress Maxime wouldn't tell me anything after I failed."

"It's not your fault you were attacked."

"But I wasn't prepared for the possibility," Fleur sighed "I'm not even mad about the possibility of losing overall because of what happened yesterday."

"You could still win."

"You're too optimistic," Fleur ruffled Gaby's hair "It's time for bed."

"What if I can't fall asleep?"

"I'll be right here the entire time watching over you. Nothing can hurt you."

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my Fanfiction.net page  
> https://www.fanfiction.net/u/5665438/BetterYouThanMe


End file.
